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The Benefits of Spaying & Neutering

Spaying removes the ovaries and uterus, so this eliminates the possibilities of ovarian and uterine infection or cancer. Bacterial infection of the uterus (pyometra) commonly afflicts older unspayed cats and dogs. In its advanced stages, pyometra causes general illness and kidney failure. If the uterus ruptures the animal will probably die. Pyometra requires emergency spaying, which may not save the animal. The best preventive care is to spay dogs and cats when they are young and healthy.

Spaying can also prevent mammary gland tumors, the most common tumor in unspayed female dogs and the third most common tumor in cats. They are more common in dogs than in humans. A high percentage of mammary tumors are cancerous: in dogs, nearly 50%; in cats, nearly 90%. Once a cancerous mammary tumor spreads to the bones or lungs, the cancer will be fatal. An unspayed dog is 200 times more likely to develop mammary tumors than a dog spayed before her first heat. An unspayed cat is 7 times more likely than a spayed cat to develop mammary tumors.

Spayed dogs and cats also avoid the dangers of giving birth. A narrow birth canal or inadequate body size can sometimes make giving birth perilous.

Neutering removes the testicles, which prevents testicular tumors and greatly reduces the risk of developing rectal tumors. A dog who develops a testicular tumor must be treated before the tumor spreads — the only effective means is neutering. Testicular tumors are especially prevalent in older dogs and are the second most common tumor in male dogs.

Enlargement of the prostate gland affects over 60% of unneutered male dogs older than five years. Prostatic enlargement predisposes a dog to prostate and urinary-tract infections, which can make urinating difficult and painful. If an infection leads to an abscess, the abscess must be surgically drained. Common consequences of the surgery include system wide infection and shock or sometimes death. Because prostatic enlargement is caused by the male hormone testosterone, and testosterone is produced by the testicles. Neutering acts as both a preventative measure and a cure.

Additionally, by eliminating the sexual drive that can cause a dog to bolt from the yard or house, neutering helps protect dogs from injuries associated with roaming, such as being hit by a car or infections transmitted by other animals.

Spaying prevents irritability and aggressiveness that some dogs show while in heat. For indoor dogs, this also prevents vaginal blood spots from getting on household furniture or the carpet.

In many male dogs, neutering reduces or eliminates sexual mounting behavior and territorial marking with their urine (including any that might take place in the house.

Did You Know?

On average, for each pet adopted to a new home, 9 animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.

Each day in the U.S., 70,000 puppies and kittens are born while only 10,000 humans are born. That’s a 7 to 1 ratio.

Each year in the U.S., almost 15,000,000 dogs and cats are destroyed because there are not enough loving homes for them all.

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